Study of the Environment

Having the right place to study is as important as having good study skills. Your study environment can be a big factor in how successfully you’ll learn and retain information and be able to apply it in your assessments and on the job. At an online university , you often have much more control over your study environment than a traditional student stuck in a classroom or campus library might have.

1. Music

A lot of us listen to music while we read, write, and research. But does music help or hurt studying? The answer depends on the individual. But research has shown that studying with headphones on tends to decrease memory and information retention, while background music can be a study aid.

The solution: Background music, especially familiar music you’ve heard often before, is much easier to "tune out" than other environmental noises like people talking or construction work outside. Listening to familiar background music that isn’t too loud or distracting can help drown out other, more distracting environmental noise and can create associations that actually help you remember what you’re studying better. But take out those ear buds.

2. Background noise—too much, or too little

Many students, especially those who are easily distracted or who have trouble keeping their attention focused, will find that it doesn’t take much noise to pull them out of their reading and into their surroundings. And it’s not just about volume – the din of a coffee shop may provide so much noise that it helps screen out other distractions, but a leaky faucet with its intermittent drips may drive you insane and cause you to reread the same sentence four or five times.